CN112513589B - Meter electronics and methods for validated diagnostics of a flow meter - Google Patents
Meter electronics and methods for validated diagnostics of a flow meter Download PDFInfo
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01F25/00—Testing or calibration of apparatus for measuring volume, volume flow or liquid level or for metering by volume
- G01F25/10—Testing or calibration of apparatus for measuring volume, volume flow or liquid level or for metering by volume of flowmeters
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01F1/00—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow
- G01F1/76—Devices for measuring mass flow of a fluid or a fluent solid material
- G01F1/78—Direct mass flowmeters
- G01F1/80—Direct mass flowmeters operating by measuring pressure, force, momentum, or frequency of a fluid flow to which a rotational movement has been imparted
- G01F1/84—Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01F1/00—Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow
- G01F1/76—Devices for measuring mass flow of a fluid or a fluent solid material
- G01F1/78—Direct mass flowmeters
- G01F1/80—Direct mass flowmeters operating by measuring pressure, force, momentum, or frequency of a fluid flow to which a rotational movement has been imparted
- G01F1/84—Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters
- G01F1/845—Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters arrangements of measuring means, e.g., of measuring conduits
- G01F1/8468—Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters arrangements of measuring means, e.g., of measuring conduits vibrating measuring conduits
- G01F1/8472—Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters arrangements of measuring means, e.g., of measuring conduits vibrating measuring conduits having curved measuring conduits, i.e. whereby the measuring conduits' curved center line lies within a plane
- G01F1/8477—Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters arrangements of measuring means, e.g., of measuring conduits vibrating measuring conduits having curved measuring conduits, i.e. whereby the measuring conduits' curved center line lies within a plane with multiple measuring conduits
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01F15/00—Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus
- G01F15/02—Compensating or correcting for variations in pressure, density or temperature
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01F15/00—Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus
- G01F15/02—Compensating or correcting for variations in pressure, density or temperature
- G01F15/022—Compensating or correcting for variations in pressure, density or temperature using electrical means
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01F25/00—Testing or calibration of apparatus for measuring volume, volume flow or liquid level or for metering by volume
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N9/00—Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity
- G01N9/002—Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N9/00—Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity
- G01N9/002—Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis
- G01N2009/006—Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis vibrating tube, tuning fork
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Abstract
A method for verifying accurate operation of a flow meter (5) is provided. The method entails receiving a vibrational response from the flow meter (5), wherein the vibrational response comprises a response of the flow meter (5) vibrating at a fundamental resonant frequency. At least one gain attenuation variable is measured. It is then determined whether the gain attenuation variable is outside of a predetermined range. If the gain attenuation variable is outside a predetermined range, a filter used in the stiffness calculation is adjusted.
Description
Background
The present disclosure relates to meter electronics and methods for validated diagnostics of a flow meter.
Vibrating conduit sensors, such as coriolis mass flowmeters or vibrating tube densitometers, typically operate by detecting movement of a vibrating conduit containing a flowing material. Properties associated with the material in the conduit, such as mass flow, density, etc., may be determined by processing the measurement signals received from the motion transducer associated with the conduit. The vibration modes of a system filled with a vibrating material are generally affected by the combined mass, stiffness and damping characteristics of the containment duct and the material contained in the containment duct.
The conduit of the vibratory flow meter can include one or more flow tubes. The flow tube is forced to vibrate at a resonant frequency, where the resonant frequency of the tube is proportional to the density of the fluid in the flow tube. The sensor located on the inlet and outlet portions of the tube measures the relative vibrations between the ends of the tube. During flow, the vibrating tube and the flow mass are coupled together due to the coriolis force, resulting in a phase shift of the vibration between the ends of the tube. The phase shift is proportional to the mass flow.
A typical coriolis mass flowmeter includes one or more conduits that are connected in series in a pipeline or other transport system and convey materials, such as fluids, slurries, and the like, in the system. Each conduit may be considered to have a set of natural vibration modes including, for example, a simple bending mode, a torsional mode, a radial mode, and a coupled mode. In a typical coriolis mass flow measurement application, a conduit is excited in one or more vibration modes as material flows through the conduit, and movement of the conduit is measured at points spaced along the conduit. The excitation is typically provided by an actuator, for example an electromechanical device, such as a voice coil driver, that perturbs the catheter in a periodic manner. The mass flow may be determined by measuring the time delay or phase difference between movements at the transducer locations. Two such transducers (or pickoff sensors) are typically employed to measure the vibrational response of the flow tube, and are typically located at positions upstream and downstream of the actuator. The two pick-up sensors are connected to the electronics by cables. The instrument receives the signals from the two pickoff sensors and processes the signals to derive a mass flow measurement.
The phase difference between the two sensor signals is related to the mass flow rate of the material flowing through the flow tube. The mass flow of material is proportional to the time delay between the two sensor signals, and can thus be determined by multiplying the time delay by a Flow Calibration Factor (FCF), where the time delay includes the phase difference divided by the frequency. FCF reflects the material properties and cross-sectional properties of the flow tube. In the prior art, FCF is determined by a calibration process prior to installing a flow meter into a pipe or other conduit. During calibration, fluid is passed through the flow tube at a given flow rate, and the ratio between the phase difference and the flow rate is calculated.
One advantage of coriolis flowmeters is that the accuracy of the measured mass flow is not affected by wear of moving parts in the flowmeter. The flow is determined by multiplying the phase difference between the two points of the flow tube by a flow calibration factor. The only input is a sinusoidal signal from the sensor, indicating the oscillations of two points on the flow tube. From these sinusoidal signals, a phase difference is calculated. No moving parts are present in the vibrating flow tube. Thus, the phase difference and flow calibration factor measurements are not affected by wear of moving parts in the flow meter.
The FCF may be related to a stiffness characteristic of the meter assembly. If the stiffness characteristics of the meter assembly change, the FCF will also change. The variations will thus affect the accuracy of the flow measurement produced by the flow meter. For example, changes in material properties and cross-sectional properties of the flow tube may be caused by wear or corrosion. It is therefore highly desirable to be able to detect and/or quantify any changes in the stiffness of the meter assembly in order to maintain a high level of accuracy in the flow meter.
Disclosure of Invention
According to an embodiment, a method for verifying accurate operation of a flow meter is provided. The method comprises the following steps: a vibrational response is received from the flow meter, wherein the vibrational response comprises a response to the flow meter vibrating at a fundamental resonant frequency. At least one gain attenuation variable is measured. In addition, it is determined whether the gain attenuation variable is outside a predetermined range, and if the gain attenuation variable is outside the predetermined range, a filter used in the stiffness calculation is adjusted.
According to an embodiment, meter electronics for verifying accurate operation of a flow meter is provided. The meter electronics includes: an interface for receiving a vibrational response from the flow meter, wherein the vibrational response comprises a response to the flow meter vibrating at a fundamental resonant frequency; and a processing system in communication with the interface. The processing system is configured to: measuring at least one gain attenuation variable; determining whether the gain attenuation variable is outside of a predetermined range; and adjusting the filtering used in the stiffness calculation if the gain attenuation variable is outside a predetermined range.
Aspects of the invention
According to one aspect, a method for verifying accurate operation of a flow meter includes the steps of: a vibrational response is received from the flow meter, wherein the vibrational response comprises a response to the flow meter vibrating at a fundamental resonant frequency. At least one gain attenuation variable is measured. In addition, it is determined whether the gain attenuation variable is outside a predetermined range, and if the gain attenuation variable is outside the predetermined range, a filter used in the stiffness calculation is adjusted.
Preferably, the step of measuring at least one gain attenuation variable comprises: measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a first point in time; measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a second, different point in time; and adjusting the filter whenever the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the first point in time is different from the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the second point in time.
Preferably, the gain attenuation variable comprises at least one of pickup voltage, drive current, flow tube frequency, and temperature.
Preferably, the method comprises: measuring a first slope of one of the gain attenuation variables over a first period of time; measuring a second slope of the same one of the gain attenuation variables over a second time period; determining that a trend exists if the first slope and the second slope are the same; and preventing meter verification when a trend exists.
Preferably, the coefficient of variation of the at least one gain attenuation variable is calculated.
Preferably, the step of adjusting the filtering comprises: at least one of the number of filtering events, the type of filter used, and the number of samples filtered is increased.
Preferably, the method comprises: measuring attenuation characteristics by removing excitation of the flowmeter; allowing the vibrational response of the flow meter to decay to a predetermined vibrational target while measuring the decay characteristic; and adjusting the filtering by varying the number of attenuation characteristic samples acquired.
According to one aspect, meter electronics for verifying accurate operation of a flow meter includes: an interface for receiving a vibrational response from the flow meter, wherein the vibrational response comprises a response to the flow meter vibrating at a fundamental resonant frequency; and a processing system in communication with the interface. The processing system is configured to: measuring at least one gain attenuation variable; determining whether the gain attenuation variable is outside of a predetermined range; and adjusting the filtering used in the stiffness calculation if the gain attenuation variable is outside a predetermined range.
Preferably, measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable comprises: measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a first point in time; measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a second, different point in time; and adjusting the filter whenever the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the first point in time is different from the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the second point in time.
Preferably, the gain attenuation variable comprises at least one of pickup voltage, drive current, flow tube frequency, and temperature.
Preferably, the processing system is further configured to: measuring a first slope of one of the gain attenuation variables over a first time period and a second slope of the same one of the gain attenuation variables over a second time period; and determining that a trend exists if the first slope and the second slope are the same, wherein meter verification is prevented when the trend exists.
Preferably, the coefficient of variation of the at least one gain attenuation variable is calculated.
Preferably, adjusting the filtering comprises: at least one of the number of filtering events, the type of filter used, and the number of samples filtered is increased.
Preferably, the processing system is further configured to: measuring attenuation characteristics by removing excitation of the flowmeter; and allowing the vibrational response of the flow meter to decay to a predetermined vibrational target while measuring the decay characteristic, and wherein adjusting the filtering comprises changing the number of acquired decay characteristic samples.
Drawings
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
FIG. 1 illustrates a flow meter including a meter assembly and meter electronics.
Fig. 2 illustrates a meter electronics according to an embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a flow chart of a method for determining a stiffness parameter (K) of a flow meter according to an embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a flow chart of a method for determining a stiffness change (Δk) in a flow meter according to an embodiment.
Fig. 5 illustrates a meter electronics according to another embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a flow chart of a method for determining a stiffness parameter (K) of a flow meter according to an embodiment.
Fig. 7 is a flowchart of a method for automatic filter adjustment according to an embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method for trend analysis for automatic filter adjustment, according to an embodiment.
Detailed Description
Fig. 1-8 and the following description depict specific examples to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the best mode of the embodiments. Some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted in order to teach the inventive principles. Those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from these examples that fall within the scope of the present embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described below can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations. Therefore, the present embodiment is not limited to the specific examples described below, but is limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
FIG. 1 shows a flow meter 5 including a meter assembly 10 and meter electronics 20. Meter assembly 10 is responsive to the mass flow and density of the process material. Meter electronics 20 is connected to meter assembly 10 via wires 100 to provide density, mass flow and temperature information and other information not related to this embodiment via path 26. The coriolis flowmeter structure is described, however it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present embodiment may be implemented in a vibrating tube densitometer without the additional measurement capability provided by a coriolis mass flowmeter.
Meter assembly 10 includes a pair of manifolds 150 and 150', flanges 103 and 103' having flange necks 110 and 110', a pair of parallel flow tubes 130 and 130', a drive mechanism 180, a temperature sensor 190, and a pair of speed sensors 170L and 170R. The flow tubes 130 and 130 'have two substantially straight inlet legs 131 and 131' and outlet legs 134 and 134', the inlet legs 131 and 131' and the outlet legs 134 and 134 'converging toward each other at the flow tube mounting blocks 120 and 120'. The flow tubes 130 and 130' are curved at two symmetrical locations along their length and are substantially parallel throughout their length. The struts 140 and 140 'serve to define axes W and W' about which each flow tube oscillates.
The side legs 131, 131' and 134, 134' of the flow tubes 130 and 130' are fixedly attached to the flow tube mounting blocks 120 and 120', and these blocks are in turn fixedly attached to the manifolds 150 and 150'. This provides a continuous closed material path through coriolis meter assembly 10.
When the flanges 103 and 103' with apertures 102 and 102' are connected via inlet end 104 and outlet end 104' into a process line (not shown) carrying the process material being measured, the material enters the end 104 of the meter through an orifice 101 in the flange 103 and is directed through a manifold 150 to a flow tube mounting block 120 having a surface 121. Within the manifold 150, the material is split and routed through the flow tubes 130 and 130'. Upon exiting the flow tubes 130 and 130', the process material recombines in a single stream within the manifold 150' and is then routed away from the end 104' connected to a process line (not shown) by a flange 103' having bolt holes 102 '.
The flow tubes 130 and 130' are selected and appropriately mounted to the flow tube mounting blocks 120 and 120' so as to have approximately the same mass distribution, moment of inertia, and Young's modulus about the bending axes W-W and W ' -W ', respectively. These bending axes pass through struts 140 and 140'. Since the young's modulus of the flow tube varies with temperature and this variation affects the calculation of flow rate and density, a Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) 190 is mounted to the flow tube 130' to continuously measure the temperature of the flow tube. The temperature of the flow tube, and thus the voltage presented across the RTD for a given current across the RTD, is controlled by the temperature of the material across the flow tube. The temperature-dependent voltage presented across the RTD is used by meter electronics 20 in a well-known manner to compensate for changes in the modulus of elasticity of flow tubes 130 and 130' due to any changes in the temperature of the flow tube. The RTD is connected to meter electronics 20 by lead 195.
The flow tubes 130 and 130 'are each driven by the driver 180 in opposite directions about their respective bending axes W and W' and in a first out of phase bending mode known as a flowmeter. The drive mechanism 180 may include any of a number of known devices, such as a magnet mounted to the flow tube 130' and an opposing coil mounted to the flow tube 130, and through which an alternating current is passed to vibrate the two flow tubes. The meter electronics 20 applies the appropriate drive signal to the drive mechanism 180 via the wire 185.
Meter electronics 20 receives the RTD temperature signal on conductor 195 and the left and right speed signals appearing on conductors 165L and 165R, respectively. Meter electronics 20 generates a drive signal that appears on wire 185 to drive mechanism 180 and vibrate flow tubes 130 and 130'. Meter electronics 20 processes the left velocity signal, the right velocity signal, and the RTD signal to calculate the mass flow rate and density of material passing through meter assembly 10. This information, along with other information, is applied by the meter electronics 20 to the usage device via path 26.
Fig. 2 illustrates meter electronics 20 according to an embodiment. The meter electronics 20 may include an interface 201 and a processing system 203. Meter electronics 20 receives, for example, a vibrational response 210 from meter assembly 10. Meter electronics 20 processes vibrational response 210 to obtain a flow characteristic of the flow material flowing through meter assembly 10. Additionally, in meter electronics 20 in accordance with an embodiment, vibrational response 210 is also processed to determine a stiffness parameter (K) of meter assembly 10. In addition, meter electronics 20 may process two or more such vibrational responses over time to detect a stiffness change (ΔK) in meter assembly 10. The determination of stiffness may be performed in a flowing or non-flowing state. The determination of no flow may provide the benefit of reducing noise levels in the resulting vibrational response.
As previously mentioned, the Flow Calibration Factor (FCF) reflects the material properties and cross-sectional properties of the flow tube. The mass flow of the flowing material flowing through the flow meter is determined by multiplying the measured time delay (or phase difference/frequency) with the FCF. The FCF may be related to a stiffness characteristic of the meter assembly. If the stiffness characteristics of the meter assembly change, the FCF will also change. The change in stiffness of the flow meter will thus affect the accuracy of the flow measurement produced by the flow meter.
Embodiments are of great significance as they enable meter electronics 20 to perform stiffness determinations in the field and without performing actual flow calibration tests. This enables stiffness determination to be achieved without calibration tables or other special equipment or special fluids. This is desirable because performing flow calibration in the field is expensive, difficult and time consuming. However, better and easier calibration checks are desirable because, in use, the stiffness of the meter assembly 10 may change over time. Such changes may be due to factors such as wear of the flow tube, corrosion of the flow tube, and damage to the meter assembly 10.
The vibrational response of the flow meter may be represented by an open loop, second order drive model comprising:
where f is the force applied to the system, M is the mass of the system, C is the damping characteristics, and K is the stiffness characteristics of the system. The term K includes k=m (ω 0 ) 2 And term C includes c=m2ζω 0 Wherein ζ comprises an attenuation characteristic, and ω 0 ＝2πf 0 Wherein f 0 Is the natural/resonant frequency of meter assembly 10 in hertz. In addition, x is the physical displacement distance of the vibration,is the speed of the flow tube displacement +.>Is acceleration. This is commonly referred to as the MCK model. This formula may be rearranged into the following form:
equation (2) may be further processed into a transfer function form. In the transfer function form, a term for displacement of force is used, including:
known magnetic equations can be used to simplify equation (3). Two applicable equations are:
and
f＝BL DR *I (5)
Sensor voltage V of equation (4) EMF Equal to the pick-up sensitivity factor BL (at pick-up sensor 170L or 170R) PO Multiplying by the motion pickup speedPick-up sensitivity factor BL PO Are generally known or measured for each pickup sensor. The force (f) generated by the driver 180 of equation (5) is equal to the driver sensitivity factor BL DR Multiplied by the drive current (I) supplied to the driver 180. Driver sensitivity factor BL of driver 180 DR Are generally known or measured. Factor BL PO And BL (BL) DR Are all a function of temperature and can be corrected by temperature measurement.
By substituting the magnetic equations (4) and (5) into the transfer function of equation (3), the result is:
if meter assembly 10 is at resonance, i.e., at resonance/natural frequency omega 0 (wherein ω 0 ＝2πf 0 ) Driven open loop, equation (6) can be rewritten as:
by replacing stiffness, equation (7) is reduced to:
here, the stiffness parameter (K) can be separated to obtain:
therefore, by measuring/quantifying the damping characteristic (ζ) and the driving voltage (V) and the driving current (I), the stiffness parameter (K) can be determined. The response voltage (V) from the pickup can be determined from the vibrational response and the drive current (I). The process of determining the stiffness parameter (K) is discussed in more detail below in conjunction with fig. 3.
In use, the stiffness parameter (K) may be tracked over time. For example, statistical techniques may be used to determine any change over time (i.e., stiffness change (ΔK)). Statistical changes in the stiffness parameter (K) may indicate that the FCF for a particular flow meter has changed.
Embodiments provide a stiffness parameter (K) that is independent of the stored or recalled calibrated density value. This is in contrast to the prior art where known flowable materials are used in factory calibration operations to obtain density standards that can be used for all future calibration operations. Embodiments provide a stiffness parameter (K) that is obtained solely from the vibrational response of the flow meter. Embodiments provide a stiffness detection/calibration process without the need for a factory calibration process.
Interface 201 receives a vibrational response 210 from one of speed sensors 170L and 170R via wire 100 of fig. 1. The interface 201 may perform any necessary or desired signal conditioning, such as formatting, amplifying, buffering, etc. in any manner. Alternatively, some or all of the signal conditioning may be performed in the processing system 203. In addition, the interface 201 may enable communication between the meter electronics 20 and external devices. The interface 201 is capable of any manner of electronic, optical or wireless communication.
The interface 201 in one embodiment is coupled to a digitizer (not shown), wherein the sensor signals comprise analog sensor signals. The digitizer samples and digitizes the analog vibration response and generates a digital vibration response 210.
The processing system 203 operates the meter electronics 20 and processes flow measurements from the flow meter assembly 10. The processing system 203 executes one or more processing routines, thereby processing the flow measurements to produce one or more flow characteristics.
The processing system 203 may comprise a general purpose computer, a micro-processing system, logic circuitry, or some other general purpose or custom processing device. The processing system 203 may be distributed among a plurality of processing devices. The processing system 203 may include any manner of integrated or stand-alone electronic storage medium, such as storage system 204.
The memory system 204 may store flow meter parameters and data, software routines, constant values, and variable values. In one embodiment, the storage system 204 includes routines executed by the processing system 203, such as a stiffness routine 230 that determines a stiffness parameter (K) of the flow meter 5.
The stiffness routine 230 in one embodiment may configure the processing system 203 to: receiving a vibrational response from the flow meter, wherein the vibrational response comprises a response to vibration of the flow meter at a fundamental resonant frequencyThe reaction is carried out; determining the frequency of the vibrational response (ω 0 ) The method comprises the steps of carrying out a first treatment on the surface of the Determining a response voltage (V) and a driving current (I) of the vibration response; measuring the attenuation characteristic (ζ) of the flowmeter; according to the frequency (omega 0 ) The stiffness parameter (K) is determined in response to the voltage (V), the drive current (I), and the damping characteristic (ζ) (see fig. 3 and related discussion).
The stiffness routine 230 in one embodiment may configure the processing system 203 to: receiving a vibrational response; determining a frequency; determining a response voltage (V) and a drive current (I); measuring an attenuation characteristic (ζ); and determining a stiffness parameter (K). The stiffness routine 230 in this embodiment also configures the processing system 203 to: at a second time t 2 Receiving a second vibrational response from the flow meter; repeating the determining and measuring steps of the second vibration response to produce a second stiffness characteristic (K 2 ) The method comprises the steps of carrying out a first treatment on the surface of the The second stiffness characteristic (K 2 ) Comparing with the stiffness parameter (K); in the second stiffness characteristic (K 2 ) In the event that the stiffness parameter (K) differs by more than a tolerance 224, a stiffness change (ak) is detected (see fig. 4 and related discussion).
In one embodiment, the storage system 204 stores variables for operating the flow meter 5. For example, the storage system 204 in one embodiment stores variables such as the vibrational response 210 that may be received from the speed/pick-up sensors 170L and 170R.
In one embodiment, the storage system 204 stores constants, coefficients, and working variables. For example, the storage system 204 may store the determined stiffness characteristic 220 and a second stiffness characteristic 221 generated at a later point in time. The storage system 204 may store operating values such as the frequency 212 of the vibrational response 210, the voltage 213 of the vibrational response 210, and the drive current 214 of the vibrational response 210. The storage system 204 may also store the vibration target 226 and the measured attenuation characteristic 215 of the flow meter 5. In addition, the storage system 204 may also store constants, thresholds, or ranges, such as the tolerance 224. In addition, the storage system 204 may store data accumulated over a period of time, such as stiffness changes 228.
Fig. 3 is a flow chart 300 of a method for determining a stiffness parameter (K) of a flow meter, according to an embodiment. In step 301, a vibrational response is received from the flow meter. The vibrational response is a response to the flowmeter vibrating at the fundamental resonant frequency. The vibration may be continuous or intermittent. The flowable material may flow through meter assembly 10 or may be static.
In step 302, the frequency of the vibrational response is determined. Frequency omega 0 The determination may be based on the vibrational response by any method, process or hardware.
In step 303, a voltage (V or V EMF ) And a drive current (I). The voltage and drive current may be obtained from the raw or adjusted vibrational response.
In step 304, the damping characteristics of the flow meter are measured. The damping characteristics may be measured by allowing the vibrational response of the flow meter to decay to a vibrational target while measuring the damping characteristics. This attenuation action may be performed in several ways. The drive signal amplitude may be reduced, driver 180 may actually perform the braking of meter assembly 10 (in an appropriate flow meter), or driver 180 may simply be de-energized until the target is reached. In one embodiment, the vibration target comprises a level of reduction in the drive set point. For example, if the drive set point is currently 3.4mV/Hz, the drive set point may be reduced to a lower value, such as 2.5mV/Hz, for the damping measurement. In this manner, meter electronics 20 may simply slide (coast) meter assembly 10 until the vibrational response substantially matches the new drive target.
In step 305, a stiffness parameter (K) is determined based on the frequency, voltage, drive current, and damping characteristics (ζ). The stiffness parameter (K) may be determined according to equation (9) above. In addition to determining and tracking stiffness (K), the method can also determine and track damping parameters (C) and mass parameters (M).
The method 300 may be performed iteratively, periodically, or randomly. The method 300 may be performed at predetermined flags, such as at predetermined operating hours, at a change in flow material, etc.
Fig. 4 is a flow chart 400 of a method for determining a stiffness change (Δk) in a flow meter according to an embodiment. In step 401, a vibrational response is received from the flow meter as previously described.
In step 402, the frequency of the vibrational response is determined as previously described.
In step 403, the voltage and drive current of the vibrational response are determined as previously described.
In step 404, the attenuation characteristic (ζ) of the flow meter is measured, as described previously.
In step 405, a stiffness parameter (K) is determined from the frequency, voltage, drive current, and damping characteristics (ζ), as described previously.
In step 406, at a second time t 2 A second vibrational response is received. At time t according to meter assembly 10 2 Generates a second vibrational response.
In step 407, a second stiffness characteristic K is generated from the second vibrational response 2 . For example, a second stiffness characteristic K 2 Steps 401 to 405 may be utilized to generate.
In step 408, a second stiffness characteristic K 2 Compared to the stiffness parameter (K). The comparison includes a comparison of stiffness characteristics obtained at different times in order to detect stiffness variation (ΔK).
In step 409, K is detected 2 Any stiffness change between K (ΔK). The stiffness change determination may employ any manner of statistical or mathematical method for determining a significant change in stiffness. The stiffness change (ΔK) may be stored for future use and/or may be transmitted to a remote location. Additionally, the stiffness change (ΔK) may trigger an alarm condition in the meter electronics 20. First the stiffness change (ak) in one embodiment is compared to the tolerance 224. If the stiffness change (ΔK) exceeds the tolerance 224, an error condition is determined. In addition to determining and tracking stiffness (K), the method can also determine and track damping parameters (C) and mass parameters (M).
The method 400 may be performed iteratively, periodically, or randomly. The method 400 may be performed at predetermined flags, such as at predetermined operating hours, at a change in flow material, etc.
Fig. 5 illustrates a meter electronics 20 according to another embodiment. As previously described, the meter electronics 20 in this embodiment may include an interface 201, a processing system 203, and a storage system 204. For example, meter electronics 20 receives three or more vibrational responses 505, such as from meter assembly 10. Meter electronics 20 processes the three or more vibrational responses 505 to obtain flow characteristics of the flowable material flowing through meter assembly 10. In addition, the three or more vibrational responses 505 are processed to determine a stiffness parameter (K) of the meter assembly 10. Meter electronics 20 can also determine a damping parameter (C) and a mass parameter (M) from the three or more vibrational responses 505. As previously described, these meter assembly parameters may be used to detect changes in meter assembly 10.
The storage system 204 may store processing routines, such as a stiffness routine 506. Storage system 204 may store received data, such as vibration response 505. The storage system 204 may store preprogrammed or user-entered values such as stiffness tolerance 516, damping tolerance 517, and mass tolerance 518. The storage system 204 may store operating values such as poles (λ) 508 and residuals (R) 509. The storage system 204 may store determined final values such as stiffness (K) 510, damping (C) 511, and mass (M) 512. The storage system 204 may store comparison values, such as a second stiffness (K 2 ) 520, second damping (C 2 ) 521, second mass (M 2 ) 522, a stiffness change (Δk) 530, a damping change (Δc) 531, and a mass change (Δm) 532. Stiffness change (ΔK) 530 may include a change in a stiffness parameter (K) of meter assembly 10 measured over time. Stiffness change (ΔK) 530 may be used to detect and determine physical changes over time, such as corrosion and wear effects, to meter assembly 10. In addition, a mass parameter (M) 512 of the meter assembly 10 may be measured and tracked over time and stored as a mass change (ΔM) 532, and a damping parameter (C) 511 may be measured over time and stored as a damping change (ΔC) 531. The mass change (ΔM) 532 may indicate the presence of a build-up of flow material in the meter assembly 10, while the damping change (ΔC) 531 may indicate a flow tubeIncluding material degradation, wear and tear, corrosion, cracking, etc.
In operation, meter electronics 20 receives three or more vibration responses 505 and processes vibration responses 505 using stiffness routine 506. In one embodiment, the three or more vibrational responses 505 comprise five vibrational responses 505, as discussed below. Meter electronics 20 determines pole (lambda) 508 and residue (R) 509 from vibration response 505. The pole (λ) 508 and the residue (R) 509 may include a first order pole and a residue, or may include a second order pole and a residue. The meter electronics 20 determines a stiffness parameter (K) 510, a damping parameter (C) 511, and a mass parameter (M) 512 from the pole (lambda) 508 and the residue (R) 509. The meter electronics 20 can further determine a second stiffness (K 2 ) 520, can be based on a stiffness parameter (K) 510 and a second stiffness (K) 2 ) 520 determines a stiffness change (Δk) 530, and the stiffness change (Δk) 530 can be compared to a stiffness tolerance 516. If the stiffness change (ΔK) 530 exceeds the stiffness tolerance 516, the meter electronics 20 may initiate any manner of error recording and/or error handling routine. Likewise, the meter electronics 20 can further track damping parameters and quality parameters over time, and can determine and record a second damping (C 2 ) 521 and a second mass (M 2 ) 522, and the resulting damping change (Δc) 531 and mass change (Δm) 532. Damping change (Δc) 531 and mass change (Δm) 532 may be similarly compared to damping tolerance 517 and mass tolerance 518.
The vibrational response of the flow meter may be represented by an open loop, second order drive model comprising:
where f is the force applied to the system, M is the mass parameter of the system, C is the damping parameter, and K is the stiffness parameter. The term K includes k=m (ω 0 ) 2, and term C includes c=m2ζω 0 Wherein ω is 0 ＝2πf 0 And f 0 Is the resonant frequency of meter assembly 10 in hertz. Such asAs previously described, the term ζ includes the attenuation characteristic measurement value obtained from the vibration response. In addition, x is the physical displacement distance of the vibration, Is the speed of the flow tube displacement +.>Is acceleration. This is commonly referred to as the MCK model. This formula may be rearranged into the following form:
equation (11) may be further processed into a transfer function form, ignoring the initial conditions. The result is:
further processing may transform equation (12) into a first order pole-residue frequency response function form, including:
where λ is the pole, R is the residue, term (j) includes the square root of-1, and ω is the cyclic excitation frequency (in radians per second).
Comprising natural/resonant frequency (omega n ) Natural damping frequency (omega) d ) And the system parameters of the attenuation characteristic (ζ) are defined by poles.
ω n ＝|λ| (14)
ω d =imaginary number (λ) (15)
The stiffness parameter (K), damping parameter (C) and mass parameter (M) of the system can be derived from the poles and residuals.
C＝2ζω n M (19)
Thus, the stiffness parameter (K), the mass parameter (M) and the damping parameter (C) can be calculated based on a good estimate of the pole (λ) and the residue (R).
The poles and residuals are estimated from the measured frequency response function. The pole (λ) and the residue (R) may be estimated using some way of direct or iterative calculation method.
The response around the drive frequency consists essentially of the first term of equation (13), the complex conjugate term contributing only a small, nearly constant "residue" portion of the response. Therefore, equation (13) can be simplified as:
In equation (20), the H (ω) term is a measured Frequency Response Function (FRF) obtained from the three or more vibration responses. In this derivation, H is made up of the displacement output divided by the force input. For a typical voice coil pick-up of a coriolis flowmeter, however, the measured FRF (i.e.,term) is the velocity divided by the force. Thus, equation (20) can be transformed into the following form:
equation (21) may be further rearranged into a form that is easily solved for the pole (λ) and the residue (R).
Equation (22) forms an overdetermined system of equations. Equation (22) can be solved by calculation to determine the FRF in terms of speed/forceThe pole (lambda) and the residue (R) are determined. The terms H, R and λ are complex.
In one embodiment, the disturbance frequency ω is 5 tones. The 5 tones in this embodiment include a drive frequency, 2 tones above the drive frequency, and 2 tones below the drive frequency. These tones may be separated from the fundamental frequency by only 0.5Hz to 2Hz. However, the disturbance frequency ω may include more tones or less tones, such as a driving frequency, 1 tone above the driving frequency, and 1 tone below the driving frequency. However, 5 tones make a good compromise between accuracy of the result and the processing time required to obtain the result.
It is noted that in the preferred FRF measurement, two FRFs are measured for a particular drive frequency and vibration response. An FRF measurement is obtained from the drive to the right pick-up (RPO), and an FRF measurement is obtained from the drive to the left pick-up (LPO). This method is called Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO). The SIMO technique is used to better estimate the pole (λ) and the residue (R). Previously, these two FRFs were used separately to give two separate pole (λ) and residue (R) estimates. Recognizing that these two FRFs share a common pole (λ) and a separate residue (R L ) And (R) R ) These two measurements can be advantageously combined to obtain a more reliable pole and residue determination.
Equation (23) can be solved in a number of ways. In one embodiment, the equation is solved by a recursive least squares method. In another embodiment, the equation is solved by a pseudo-inverse technique. In yet another embodiment, standard Q-R decomposition techniques may be used, as all measurements are available at the same time. Q-R decomposition techniques are discussed in Modern Control Theory (modern control theory), william Brogan, copyright 1991,Prentice Hall (Prrentius Hall), pages 222-224, pages 168-172.
In use, the stiffness parameter (K), damping parameter (C) and mass parameter (M) may be tracked over time. For example, statistical techniques may be used to determine any change in the stiffness parameter (K) over time (i.e., stiffness change (ΔK)). Statistical changes in the stiffness parameter (K) may indicate that the FCF for a particular flow meter has changed.
Embodiments provide a stiffness parameter (K) that is independent of stored or recalled calibrated density values. This is in contrast to the prior art where known flow materials are used in factory calibration operations to obtain density standards that can be used for all future calibration operations. Embodiments provide a stiffness parameter (K) that is obtained solely from the vibrational response of the flow meter. Embodiments provide a stiffness detection/calibration process without the need for a factory calibration process.
Fig. 6 is a flow chart 600 of a method for determining a stiffness parameter (K) of a flow meter according to an embodiment. In step 601, three or more vibrational responses are received. The three or more vibrational responses may be received from the flow meter. The three or more vibrational responses may comprise a fundamental frequency response and two or more non-fundamental frequency responses. In one embodiment, one tone is received above the fundamental frequency response and one tone is received below the fundamental frequency response. In another embodiment, two or more tones above the fundamental frequency response are received and two or more tones below the fundamental frequency response are received.
In one embodiment, the tones are substantially equally spaced above and below the fundamental frequency response. Alternatively, the tones are not equally spaced.
In step 602, a first order pole-residue frequency response is generated from the three or more vibrational responses. The first order pole-residue frequency response takes the form given in equation (23).
In step 603, a quality parameter (M) is determined from the first order pole-residue frequency response. The mass parameter (M) is determined by determining a first order pole (lambda) and a first order residue (R) of the vibrational response. Then, the natural frequency omega n Natural frequency ω of damping d And the attenuation characteristic (ζ) is determined from the first-order pole (λ) and the residue (R). Subsequently, the natural frequency ω is damped d The residue (R) and the imaginary term (j) are taken into equation (17) to obtain the quality parameter (M).
In step 604, a stiffness parameter (K) is determined from the solution of equation (18). The solution adopts the natural frequency omega n And the mass parameter (M) determined according to step 603 is taken into equation (18) to obtain the stiffness parameter (K).
In step 605, a damping parameter (C) is determined from the solution of equation (19). The solution adopts the attenuation characteristic (zeta) and the natural frequency omega n And a determined quality parameter (M).
In an embodiment, a method for automatically adjusting internal filtering used in stiffness calculations is provided for meter verification. It should be noted that this gain decay meter verification method relies on at least one of a stable pick-up voltage, a stable drive current, a stable tube frequency, and a stable temperature to calculate a repeatable stiffness measurement. These variables are commonly referred to as "gain attenuation variables". Other factors including, but not limited to, flow noise, external system noise, and meter type will affect the amount of filtering required for pick-up voltage and drive current measurements. For example, as the flow increases, more noise is typically associated with the pickup voltage and drive current. Thus, it is desirable to increase the filter sampling. Balancing is desirable because excessive filtering may negatively impact the amount of time required to perform the measurement, while insufficient filtering results in inaccuracy. In addition, erroneous filtering may also result in skewed data and potentially erroneous faults.
In an embodiment, at least one gain attenuation variable of a series of gain attenuation variables is analyzed. As described above, the gain attenuation variable may include at least one of pickup voltage, drive current, flow tube frequency, and temperature. The analysis includes determining a stability of at least one of the gain attenuation variables and adjusting the filter accordingly. Turning to fig. 7, an overview of a method for automatic filter adjustment 700 is provided according to an embodiment.
In step 702, at least one gain attenuation variable is measured to determine whether the meter is considered noisy. For example, but not limited to, multiple temperature measurements may be taken over a predetermined period of time, and a standard deviation or coefficient of variation may be calculated.
If the standard deviation or coefficient of variation is below a predetermined threshold in step 704, the meter is deemed not to be noisy and the correlation filtering is set to a predetermined minimum in step 708.
In an alternative embodiment, step 704 is performed such that an alternative way of adjusting the filter based on the system requirements is implemented. An adaptive algorithm consisting of loops that monitor the standard deviation or coefficient of variation of the gain attenuation variable may be used. However, in this embodiment, if the statistical analysis shows that the variable is not within the target range, the gain attenuation variable filtering may be adjusted until the variable is within the target range. Instead of simply determining whether the gain attenuation variable is below a predetermined threshold. The method allows filtering to be increased and decreased based on whether the variable is above or below the target range.
For embodiments using a Coefficient of Variation (CV), the calculation may be performed as follows:
Cv=standard deviation/average (24)
From step 708, a loop is formed through step 702 in a manner that repeatedly checks the noise level, such that the noise status is periodically polled. However, if the standard deviation or coefficient of variation is above the predetermined threshold in step 704, the meter is considered noisy and it is next determined in step 706 whether the measured noise level is equal to the previously measured noise level.
If the current noise level is equal to the previously measured noise level, a loop is formed, via step 702. However, if the measured current noise level fails to equal the previously measured noise level in step 706, the gain attenuation filter variable is adjusted in step 710. Such adjustment may include increasing the number of filtering events, the type of filter used, and/or the number of samples filtered. For example, a simple average or moving average filter may be applied multiple times to improve attenuation. Furthermore, the number of samples averaged may be increased for better performance. Of course, the greater the number of samples collected, the longer it takes to complete the measurement.
Basically, once the gain attenuation variables are analyzed to determine stability, a decision can be made to change the type of filter or the filtering time. For example, if the noise level is low, the filtering time may be reduced to a minimum value to reduce the total test time, as illustrated by step 708. Conversely, if the noise is high, the filter time may be increased or the filter type changed to obtain repeatable measurements. The same noise analysis can adjust the number of attenuation characteristic (zeta) samples to also improve the accuracy of the measurement. The decay characteristic is considered to be one of the variables for which the computation time is longest. A given sensor requires a fixed amount of time to naturally decay at a certain voltage. This time generally increases as the size of the sensor increases. Then, it takes time for the sensor to return to a stable pickup voltage so that other variables can be calculated. Therefore, natural attenuation is typically performed once, and only once the corresponding attenuation characteristic measurement. If noise is present in the system that disrupts the attenuation process, the attenuation measurements will change, resulting in the same change in stiffness measurements.
In the example shown, only a single gain attenuation variable is polled to check meter stability/noise. In some embodiments, more than one gain attenuation variable is polled. In some implementations, if it is determined that one of the polled more than one gain attenuation variable indicates noise, the filter is adjusted as described herein. In some implementations, each gain attenuation variable may be weighted such that less noise tolerance is associated with a particular gain attenuation variable.
Although temperature is exemplified above, in related embodiments, pick-up voltage stability may be determined for use in ascertaining sensor noise. Pick-up voltage is a key variable in stiffness calculations that is used to determine the overall health of a given meter. Stiffness is a measure of the structural integrity of a flow tube within a sensor. By comparing the stiffness measurements to those made at the factory or when the sensor is installed, the flowmeter operator can determine whether the structural integrity of the pipe during operation is the same as the structural integrity at the time of initial installation. The provided method determines when the pick-up voltage is sufficiently stable to enable repeatable and accurate stiffness measurements. When applying the gain-attenuation meter verification embodiment, a stable pick-up voltage is a very useful metric for determining repeatable stiffness measurements. If the pick-up voltage is changed with the drive current and frequency unchanged, the stiffness calculation will deviate. In addition, waiting for a fixed time is inefficient because the time required to reach settling is a factor in drive current, sensor size, and noise within the system.
By calculating the CV of the pickup voltage, the variation of the pickup voltage may be related to the average value of the pickup voltage. In practice, this means that standard CV limits can be used for a variety of sensor types to determine stability. Values exceeding this limit represent unstable pickup voltages, which can lead to erroneous stiffness data. The pickup voltage may vary with ambient or process conditions for a given sensor. In a series containing sensors of various sizes, the pick-up voltage may vary even more due to mechanical and magnetic differences between the sensors. The absolute limit of the standard deviation cannot be used for all sensors due to the difference in pick-up voltage. For example, a 50mV standard deviation may indicate an unstable pickup voltage for a sensor operating at 100mV, but the same standard deviation may be normal for a sensor operating at 1V. The relative measurements such as CV thus provide a deeper insight into the percentage of noise in the ensemble average pick-up voltage.
With respect to different sensor types, there are numerous models, sizes, configurations, applications, etc. of sensors, those skilled in the art will appreciate that pick-up voltages, drive currents, tube frequencies, temperatures, etc. and associated operating ranges and noise level thresholds will vary greatly depending on the meter itself and the process variables and circumstances.
Turning to fig. 8, an embodiment of trend analysis 800 is disclosed. Trend analysis is performed on the pick-up voltage, for example, to determine if meter verification should be run.
In step 802, a determination is made as to whether it is the appropriate time to collect the sample, taking into account a number of meter operations. If so, then the pickup voltage is measured in step 804.
Over time, a plurality of pickup voltages will be measured and recorded, and in step 806, the pickup voltage slope is calculated. By observing the slope of the pick-up voltage from one slope sample to the next, a trend can be determined. The calculation uses pairs of data and calculates the slope.
The next iteration calculates the slope from the subsequent data pair and compares the slopes in step 808.
If the slopes are different, there is no trend and the trend count is reset to 0 in step 810 and the trend flag is also reset in step 822.
However, if the sign of the current and comparison voltage slopes is the same in steps 812 and 814, this indicates a trend, and the trend counter is incremented in step 816.
The trend counter value is compared to a predetermined trend limit in step 818 and if the counter exceeds the final limit, the trend is deemed to have been detected, a trend flag is set in step 820, and meter verification should be aborted.
Trends indicate that the data is changing. Because of the filtering/averaging dependence, in the presence of trends, the average data does not accurately represent the actual data, as the weight data is always averaged equally. If the average data is incorrect, the final stiffness calculation will be incorrect, possibly leading to false failures or false passes. Finally, if the difference between two consecutive average pick-up voltage samples exceeds a limit, then meter verification should not be run. This checks whether there is a large change in the average to determine whether meter verification should be run. The same method can be used for other gain attenuation variables.
The detailed description of the above embodiments is not an exhaustive description of all embodiments contemplated by the inventors as falling within the scope of the invention. Indeed, those skilled in the art will recognize that certain elements of the above-described embodiments may be combined or removed in different ways to create other embodiments, and that such other embodiments fall within the scope and teachings of the present invention. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the above-described embodiments may be combined in whole or in part to create additional embodiments within the scope and teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined from the following claims.
Claims (12)
1. A method for automatically adjusting internal filtering used in stiffness calculations provided for meter verification of a flow meter (5), comprising the steps of:
receiving a vibrational response from the flow meter (5), wherein the vibrational response comprises a response to the flow meter (5) vibrating at a fundamental resonant frequency;
measuring at least one gain attenuation variable;
measuring a first slope of one of the gain attenuation variables over a first period of time;
measuring a second slope of the same one of the gain attenuation variables over a second time period;
if the first slope and the second slope are the same, determining that a trend exists;
determining whether the gain attenuation variable is outside a predetermined range;
preventing meter verification when a trend exists; and
if the gain attenuation variable is outside the predetermined range, a filter used in the stiffness calculation is adjusted.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring at least one gain attenuation variable comprises:
measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a first point in time;
measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a second, different point in time; and
Wherein the step of adjusting the filter used in the stiffness calculation if the gain attenuation variable is outside the predetermined range comprises adjusting the filter as long as the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the first point in time is different from the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the second point in time.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gain attenuation variable comprises at least one of pickup voltage, drive current, flow tube frequency, and temperature.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein a Coefficient of Variation (CV) of the at least one gain-attenuation variable is calculated.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting the filtering comprises increasing at least one of a number of filtering events, a type of filter used, and a number of samples filtered.
6. The method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
measuring an attenuation characteristic (ζ) by removing the excitation of the flowmeter (5);
allowing a vibrational response of the flow meter (5) to be damped to a predetermined vibrational target while measuring the damping characteristic; and
The filtering is adjusted by varying the number of attenuation characteristic samples acquired.
7. Meter electronics (20) provided for meter verification of a flow meter (5) for automatically adjusting internal filtering used in stiffness calculations, the meter electronics (20) comprising: an interface (201) for receiving a vibrational response from the flow meter (5), wherein the vibrational response comprises a response to the flow meter (5) vibrating at a fundamental resonant frequency; and a processing system (203) in communication with the interface (201), wherein the meter electronics (20) comprises:
-the processing system (203), the processing system (203) being configured to: measuring at least one gain attenuation variable; determining whether the gain attenuation variable is outside a predetermined range; and if the gain attenuation variable is outside the predetermined range, adjusting filtering used in stiffness calculation, the processing system (203) being further configured to: measuring a first slope of one of the gain attenuation variables over a first time period and a second slope of the same one of the gain attenuation variables over a second time period; and if the first slope and the second slope are the same, determining that a trend exists, wherein meter verification is prevented when a trend exists.
8. The meter electronics (20) of claim 7 wherein measuring at least one gain attenuation variable comprises: measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a first point in time; measuring the at least one gain attenuation variable at a second, different point in time; and adjusting the filter whenever the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the first point in time is different from the value of the at least one gain attenuation variable measured at the second point in time.
9. The meter electronics (20) of claim 7, with the gain attenuation variable comprising at least one of pickup voltage, drive current, flow tube frequency, and temperature.
10. The meter electronics (20) of claim 7 wherein a Coefficient of Variation (CV) of the at least one gain attenuation variable is calculated.
11. The meter electronics (20) of claim 7, with adjusting the filtering including increasing at least one of a number of filtering events, a type of filter used, and a number of samples filtered.
12. The meter electronics (20) of claim 7, wherein the processing system (203) is further configured to: measuring an attenuation characteristic (ζ) by removing the excitation of the flowmeter (5); and allowing the vibrational response of the flow meter (5) to decay to a predetermined vibrational target while measuring the decay characteristic, and wherein adjusting the filtering comprises changing a number of acquired decay characteristic samples.
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| RU2766256C1 (en) | 2022-02-10 |
| AU2018434685A1 (en) | 2021-01-21 |
| JP2021533346A (en) | 2021-12-02 |
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| AU2018434685B2 (en) | 2022-01-06 |
| WO2020027774A1 (en) | 2020-02-06 |
| EP3830530B1 (en) | 2024-02-28 |
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